☛ GAPERS BLOCK FIFTH ANNIVERSARY PARTY! Friday, May 30, 2008 ✧ The Hideout ✧ 1354 W. Wabansia Ave. ✧ 9PM-1AM ✧ More details »
Today, in its weekly Comic Book Urban Legends Revealed series, the Comics Should Be Good site shares the sad story of Sidney Smith -- Trib cartoonist and creator of the incredibly successful but seldom remembered comic strip "The Gumps".
The Museum of Science & Industry's latest exhibit, "Smart Home: Green + Wired," debuts today. Prairie Mod's latest podcast is an interview with creator Michelle Kaufmann.
Announcing the First Chicago International Poster Biennial. Artists have until May 27 to submit a poster, 100 of which will be selected for the juried show June 7 at IIT's Crown Hall. [via]
After the demise of the Berwyn Spindle last weekend, word comes that the Spindle may be rebuilt, if the former owners can work out a deal with the artist. Also in Spindle news: an appreciation of the artwork by one of Berwyn's most ardent supporters, Svengoolie.
Couldn't make it to Looptopia this year? Flickr with Looptopia 2008 pictures if you want to see some of what you missed.
The Berwyn Spindle comes down, and the Sun-Times has the video. Wayne Campbell was unavailable for comment.
Close to 90 paintings from the Art Institute of Chicago's collection of Impressionist art are heading to Texas, where they'll be displayed at the Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth. The good news: they'll be back in time for the winter holidays.
After pioneering the "oxidized look" for some of its buildings (most notably the Daley Center), Chicago architects are turning once again to self-weathering metals that purposely rust.
A ticket to this weekend's Artropolis, the international art show at The Merchandise Mart, is normally $20 for a one-day pass, but if you bike to the event you'll get free admission to Art Chicago, NEXT, The Merchandise Mart International Antiques Fair, The Artist Project and The Intuit Show of Folk and Outsider Art. That's a whole lot of art to look at for free, people! Just park your bike in the racks when you arrive and check in at the South Lobby Concierge Desk to get your ticket.
We know that a big portion of you, our dear readers, work in advertising, design and marketing. If you're looking to put your skills to use through volunteer opportunities, consider joining the ranks of the Arts & Business Council or the Taproot Foundation. Help non-profits while expanding your professional network.
Garrett Kelleher's development group didn't meet property tax filing deadlines in March. Is it a sign of trouble, or is everything moving along just fine?
What if Frank Lloyd Wright's Mile High Illinois building had actually been built here in Chicago? It might look a little like this.
Actor Michael McKean will be coming to Chicago this summer as a castmember of the Tracy Letts-penned Superior Donuts. The play runs June 19-August 17 at Steppenwolf.
Dick's Last Resort's plan to move into Marina City and add "garage-style" doors along the river is meeting opposition from residents.
The Berwyn Spindle, a bargain at $50,000 (shipping costs $100,000). The Sun-Times reports that the Spindle is still coming down to make way for a new Walgreens, so it's either going to a good home or being taken down by the current owners, who will then "take a look at our options" to see what they can do with the sculpture.
In a post about "supercuts," Waxy.org points out Chicago artist Chuck Jones's collection "Isolation Studies." (The rest of his site is worth exploring, too.
Swing by A/C to check out this week's double interviews with muralist Augustina Droze and Carrie Hanson, choreographer of Monument, which is currently running at Ruth Page Center for the Arts.
WFMT critic and interviewer Andrew Patner has a blog covering the arts, classical music, and occasional forays into local politics--all in his inimitable Patnervian style.
Have you seen an elaborate demon mask in a styrofoam cooler? It belongs to Miss Monster, and it's gone missing after her landlord threw a bunch of her stuff in the alley.
The Art Institute has an impressive collection of oral histories from Chicago architects. [via]
Mother Jones magazine interviews Chicago spoken word icon Malik Yusef on music, the state of hip hop and the trouble in the streets.
The Landmarks Preservation Council announced its annual 10 most endangered buildings in Illinois, and this year it goes to 11: Wrigley Field joins the others due to the renovations and proposal by Tribune Co. to "relax" city landmark status to let some major changes slide.
If you haven't already, head over to A/C and check out this week's feature, which is an interview with performance and installation artist Sara Schnadt.
The Wicker Park-Bucktown SSA is looking to redesign the winter cover for the Nelson Algren Fountain in the Polish Triangle. Further details here; download the RFP.
Lee Bey presents some fascinating, unrealized plans for the South Loop and the Cook County/City Hall building in the current Chicago Journal issue. As always, you can check out the Emporis unbuilt high-rise section for more crushed dreams.
Two Northbrook men are among seven arrested in a bust of counterfeit art rings that sold thousands of counterfeit pieces to art buyers around the world.
Given that the Chicago Spire is a speculative building, there's the question of how to raise the funds. Apparently one way is to host exhibitions in a variety of cities, such as Dublin, Hong Kong and Singapore, about which this release was written.
West Town residents and Art Institute faculty members Frances Whitehead and James Elniski make the New York Times Home & Garden section today for their elegantly styled, green tech-tacular pad. The couple's home features photovoltaic and thermal panels, geothermal desuperheaters, dual-flush toilets and other enviro-sound amenities.
The NY Times sings high praise for the relatively new and inexpensive buildings designed for the Hyde Park Art Center and the Spertus Institute of Jewish Studies. [Thanks, Jessica!]
School of the Art Institute faculty member Wafaa Bilal's controversial video game/art installation "Virtual Jihad," in which viewers are supposed to kill U.S. soldiers, penetrate a bunker and assassinate President Bush, has been pulled from an exhibit by a Troy, N.Y. university. Bilal, born in Iraq, gives his side of the story on his website.
The Sterling Private Residences can now claim the title of reigning Chicago Foreclosure King. Way to go! (If you are a premium subscriber to Crain's, you can read the full article.)
Don't count Tribune architecture expert Blair Kamin among the biggest fans of the newly rennovated Blackstone. While he applauds the effort, he manges to use words like "garish," "atrocious," "screeching," "psychodelic," "disconcerting tension," "jolting," "bizzare" and "grotesquely" in his review.
The Chicago Loop Alliance recently released redevelopment suggestions for the Michigan Avenue side of the Illinois Center. One sample idea: a "modern adaptation of the Spanish Steps in Rome."
Gapers Block is proud to announce the launch of our latest section, A/C, covering arts and culture in depth. Don't miss the premier feature, a look inside the studio of artist Erik Newman.
Trib architecture critic Blair Kamin warns about what Sam Zell's plan to sell naming rights to Wrigley could mean for landmark buildings across the city.
Dwell Magazine takes a walking tour of Ukrainian Village, hitting a range of the expected and the lesser known in art and commerce.
The Reader has a scathing critique of the Commission on Chicago Landmarks.
Sadly, the Dick Tracy Museum in Woodstock, IL, will close June 1. Dick Tracy was created by Chester Gould, who wrote and drew the comic strip from 1931 until he retired in 1977. Cartoonist Ed Piskor provides a colorful account of a meeting between the rather conservative Gould and cartoonists Jay Lynch and Robert Crumb here.
From the creators of Midwest-born Formula Werks comes Freshly Dipped, a site where you can find local art, wearables, and more. Right now, you'll find stuff for sale from local street artists Artillery, The Grocer and more.
Check out the work of designer Frank Chimero, especially his ongoing The States series.
The New York Times trumpets the rebirth of the historic Blackstone Hotel and ties its return to the housing/building boom in the South Loop.
Around the Coyote is joining forces with Looptopia this year for its spring arts festival on May 2 and is looking for artists to participate. Perhaps this is the perfect time to take that piece of visual art, literature or music that you've been pouring your soul into and give it the audience it so sorely deserves? Move quick, because the application deadline is this Friday, February 15.
Head on over to the Caro d'Offay Gallery at 2204 W. North Ave. tonight for Textaport 2008, in which artists try to interpret descriptive text about a particular mystery object and create an original work of art based on that description. When the creating's done, the results -- made on-location, and remotely -- will be put on display. 6-9 p.m. Call 773-235-7400 for more info.
Local webcomic Multiplex just released its first e-book, collecting early strips and several new ones. And it's free!
The March issue of Dwell shows a lot of Chicago love; first with a profile of Wilkinson Blender Architecture's gut-renovated, Gold-certified LEED-H home the Wis Tavern Building and secondly an interesting article about architect Bertrand Goldberg, best known for his landmark Marina City complex and the endangered cloverleaf-towered Prentice Women's Hospital.
It seems appropriate that the I^3 Festival of interstitial art begins on Leap Day -- the ultimate interstitial date.
Contemporary art gallery Kass/Meridian was raided by the FBI today as part of an art fraud investigation.
George Greenhalgh, an 84-year-old pensioner from Manchester, U.K., received a two-year suspended jail sentence on Jan. 29 for selling forged works -- produced by his son, no less -- to museums around the world, including the Art Institute of Chicago. Greenhalgh's piece to the Art Institute was a fake Gauguin, the Glasgow Daily Record reports. Due to his old age and poor health, Greenhalgh won't go to jail, but will instead be free to stay at home and listen to his old Oasis and Fall records.
The new Trump International Hotel and Tower is set to open today, possibly amid protests by Local 1, a hotel workers union. Meanwhile, another big downtown hotel is reportedly in the planning stages.
CTA art isn't usually all that interesting, but this work by Jonathan Gitelson looks amazing, at least online. We'll have to wait for the Armitage stop to reopen to be sure.
If you caught the MCA's Sympathy for the Devil exhibition this past autumn, you might recall encountering a couple of photographs by local artist Melanie Schiff. The 30-year-old Chicago photographer is now the subject of a three-page profile in the February issue of the international art magazine Modern Painters. The attention arrives after Schiff was recently selected for inclusion in the 2008 Whitney Biennial. The artist is currently represented by the Kavi Gupta Gallery in Chicago.
This year's list of most endangered Chicago landmarks from Preservation Chicago includes the idea of landmark designation itself.
The Art Institute of Chicago will offer free general admission every day from Feb. 1-29. You'll still have to pay for the Hopper and Homer special exhibitions, which open Feb. 16, but the museum makes it up to you by offering weekend Q&A sessions with its curators, Saturday lessons in conservation and other perks.
You can watch the progress of the Museum of Modern Ice's Paintings Below Zero at its official blog. Can someone please shorten that URL?
Chicago photographer and Nelson Algren buddy Art Shay once took an artfully racy photo of Algren's lover, French author, philosopher, and feminist Simone de Beauvoir, which writer Susie Bright has thoughtfully provided on her blog. (Possibly NSFW, hardly hardcore, but definitely lovely.) For background on Algren and De Beauvoir's legendary affair, go here.
Sunday is your last chance to see the creche exhibit at Loyola University's Museum of Art, otherwise known as the LUMA (P.S. - today the museum's free).
If you're in the mood for some spooky photography and artifacts (a coffin, outmoded medical restraints!) this weekend, check out the opening of Ward 7: America's Abandoned Asylums at the Co-Prosperity Sphere Saturday evening.
"Less is more (boring)" for local financial investor Richard Driehaus, who takes a swipe at the city's modern architecture in favor of the classical style. So much so that he's opening his own museum for decorative arts in the Nickerson Mansion here in Chicago in the spring.
Art Against AIDS, the annual art auction that raises funds for Heartland Alliance's AIDS/HIV programs, takes place February 28. But if you'd like the check out the art before the benefit, head to Gallery 180, 180 N. Wabash, from today through February 14 to see (or buy) work donated by artists from around the nation.
Get your checkbook out. Residences in the yet-to-be-constructed Chicago Spire went on sale today. Prices range from $750,000 to $40,000,000 for a two-floor penthouse. No word on whether that includes free cable.
Ryan Maconochie is a Chicago-based designer who loves maps. The ones he's designed for Chicago are great, especially his "Small Snack" map of Wicker Park/Ukrainian Village/East Village.
Two area firms, Vinci | Hamp and Roszak/ADC, have earned AIA Honor Awards for their work with the Illinois State Capitol [pdf] and the Roszak private residence [pdf], respectively.
We've pointed to Green Bean before -- the blog run by Erik Olsen, the Green Projects Administrator for the City of Chicago. Today he writes of a remarkable DIY green building project run by two brothers in the South Chicago neighborhood. Their use of reclaimed old growth forest wood framing, hardwood flooring, sub-flooring and joists to make cabinets, patch floors, and frame out new triple-glazed windows is a welcome change from the bulldoze-and-build crowd.
The city's opaque Department of Planning and Development, which controls development of and rehabilitation of landmark buildings and areas, has approved an additional 70 "bullpen box seats" and more digital signage.
The Reader brings us word that a radical Italian theatre company is looking for 40 dudes to come on stage and beat a young lady with pillows. Oh, don't give me that -- it's for art! Check it out for more info on the company, the performance and how to apply. Watch out for those feathers.
If it's too cold to stroll, you can still check out your favorite street artists -- indoors at New'd. Artist Artillery curates a show at the new/used clothing shop each month. Currently, he's showing blutt work. Next month, it's tiptoe and Saro.
Now that the smoking ban is in effect, what to do with all of those leftover ash trays? West Town Tavern chef Susan Goss is currently collecting some of them for use in an "Ashes to Art" exhibition which will feature creations by local artists. The exhibition, to be held at The Architrouve and benefitting Erie Neighborhood House, is slated to open February 19.
This week is your last chance to view Jasper Johns: Gray at the Art Institute. The special exhibition, which closes on Sunday, showcases Johns' use of the color gray as a "statement of skepticism, quietude, or anticipation." Besides being a critically acclaimed artist, Johns also guest starred as himself in a 1999 episode of "The Simpsons" entitled "Mom and Pop Art."
The NY Times draws attention to Marion Mahony Griffin, the first licensed female architect in Illinois and primary illustrator of Frank Lloyd Wright's Wasmuth Portfolio, among other achievements. Visit her 1,600 page memoir for more background.
In a warning to artists and other small businesses throughout the city, 30 tenants of the Fine Arts Building were issued $200 fines for not possessing a business license. The licenses cost $225 for a two-year period.
Been to the MCA lately? There's a slo-mo makeout session happening in the fourth-floor gallery, the work of British-born artist Tino Sehgal. Witnessing the crowd's reaction is half the experience.
"The Faun," a sculpture owned by the Art Institute purported to be the work of Paul Gauguin, is a forgery.
If you've got some kids in school and have no idea what to do with them when they have weekdays off, do we have a solution for you. The Hyde Park Art Center is offering a series of five all-day creativity programs for kids. The series is $80 for members, $100 for non. Check it out here.
The Lakeshore Athletic Club Building, usually one of the entries on the list of the state's most endangered historic places, appears to be saved! The Sun-Times reports that Northwestern University is selling off the building to be turned into housing for seniors.
Apartment Therapy: Chicago is hosting a House Tour and after-party this Friday; join them for a tour of five live/work spaces in Fulton Market. Don't forget to RSVP!
The Chicago Artists' Coalition has redesigned its website and added a new video segment.
Rearview contributor and excellent photographer Carey Primeau launches a new photography site and portfolio. While I've seen my fair share of deserted and abandoned photography sites, Primeau really does elevate these photos to stunning. One of the more stellar sets has to be his Uptown Theater set, a building that has intrigued me for years. So good.
They may not be designed by Louis Sullivan or Frank Lloyd Wright, but preservationists still see architectural and historical importance in Chicago's 178 gravity-fed rooftop water tanks.
The second Gapers Block/Calumet Photographic Photo Swap is a little more than a week away, so print up five 4"x6" photographs to exchange with other photographers. Of course, there'll be plenty of free food and drinks to accompany the swapping. Details in Slowdown.
The Spertus Institute of Jewish Studies' new building will be open to the public starting on November 30 with a series of events and a new range of amenities.
Iraq war veterans join artist Aaron Hughes to discuss their anti-war projects on Sunday, Nov. 25, 3-5 p.m. at the Hyde Park Art Center. The discussion is an extension of the Center's current "Consuming War" exhibit.
Dina Elenbogen, representing Israel, and Palestinian poet Issa Boulos will join voices at "Free Verse, An Evening of Compassion, Peace and Renewal" tonight, 6 p.m., at Flatfile Galleries, 217 N. Carpenter. The event, sponsored by UniVerse of Poetry, will also feature live music as well as 20 other local poets and an organic buffet. The event is free but donations are accepted.
Jason Salavon, whom we talked to last year, has some beautiful new work, including this layered view of the Loop. [via]
The MCA's "40 Free Days" come to an end today; swing by after work.
Artist Keith Edmier recently unveiled his latest work Bremen Towne at the Center for Curatorial Studies at Bard College in Annandale-on-Hudson, NY. Bremen Towne is a full-scale reproduction of several rooms of Edmier's childhood home in southwest suburban Tinley Park, circa 1971.
Lynn Becker, who runs the local blog Architecture Chicago Plus, writes about a head-scratchingly strange resolution on the table of the Marina Towers Condo Association. It proposes that they alter Rule 5 of their charter to say that no one can use the image of the Marina Towers without expressed written permission of the board. This includes filmmakers, advertisers, and apparently amateur photogs. It's raised a number of eyebrows, including those of some more open-minded residents. They vote on the resolution on November 15. [via]
Local artist Barbara Koenen is currently at work on a war rug--composed not of thread but of various spices, seeds, and firecrackers--at the MCA all this week. For more information on the original Afghan war rugs, go here, here, and here.
Not quite the expose on Santiago Calatrava (also known for his work on the Milwaukee Art Museum), but Creative Review, a design magazine based in the UK, showcases the design work of Third Eye Design who did the collateral for The Chicago Spire. Even if you don't like the Spire itself, the accompanying literature praises our fair city.
Inspired by My Kid Could Paint That (the documentary of a father who sold his four year-old daughter's paintings for big bucks), the what-is-art debate rages amongst Chicago's storefront theater intelligentsia over at the blog Angry White Guy. You can still catch the film in Wilmette and rue your own unappreciated kinder-masterpieces, or see Mr. Fluxus at The Neo-Futurarium and decide whether you agree with Yoko Ono's take on art.
Chicago Business posted a video profile of the Threadless retail store and included a mention of its "loose plan" to have stores in at least 11 cities by 2009.
In February, Millennium Park gets an installation by Canadian artist Gordon Halloran. Its official name is "Paintings Below Zero," but the Tribune has already nicknamed it "The Popsicle."
One of my favorite designer-artists out there, Cody Hudson, is having a solo exhibition at the MCA. Hudson brings a mix of street art, urban graphics and blends it with his own personal inspirations to create his work. The exhibition, which is titled that long title up above, begins tomorrow (Nov 3rd) and runs through December 2nd with Hudson presenting an Artist Talk on November 20th which will have him leading a tour of his exhibition.
Amid flagging occupancy rates, luxury hotel ideas and changes in the downtown office market, Prime Group Realty Trust is seeking landmark status for the 1972 Mies van der Rohe structure.
An announcement was made yesterday that "Paintings Below Zero," an outdoor exhibition of a multicolored, 95-foot-long wall of ice, will be on display at Millennium Park during the entire month of February. Finally, the Bean will have someone to talk to when he's feeling a little gloomy.
Nau, the outdoor atelier whose clothes are eco-friendly is hosting a Film & Fashion Night in the South Loop on Tuesday, November 7th from 8pm to midnight. There's going to be BMX Ballet, food and drink (first drink free or so we hear) and other festivities. Learn about sustainable economy! It's free if you download, print and bring this ticket. More details in Slowdown.
A new site about the Marina City building complex just launched, including a great promotional film from 1965. (As you'd expect with any condo association, there were some disagreements about how it should be done, so two condo owners did it themselves.) [via]
The Sound of Young America, a public radio show out of Los Angeles, is doing a live show tomorrow night at Second City. The main event is an "in-depth interview with legendary music producer Steve Albini". Schadenfreude, Team Submarine, and Hannibal Buress will be doing comedy.
You have until Oct. 31 to submit your art and interactive installation proposals for LAWN NATION: Art & Science of the American Lawn, an exhibition planned for May 2008 by the Notebaert Nature Museum. The in-house exhibit will explore America's love-hate relationship with grass through works of art, installations and special events. Here's a suggestion: An installation featuring sprinklers that actually water the grass, not the sidewalk or the heads and feet of passersby.
New from City Files Press, the people who brought us Richard Nickel's Chicago, is Chicago: City on the Move, 150 years of photos from the collection of the CTA. Buy.
The Terra Foundation for American Art hasn't been in the news much since closing its Michigan Avenue Museum in 2004, but it's back in the limelight with a new $3 million program: American Art American City: A Chicago Celebration.
If I were to add up all the knitters I know in person, or online, I could get probably get to a hundred or so. However, Chicago photographer and knitter Franklin Habit of The Panopticon is hoping to meet 1000 knitters and photograph them. The next public shoot is at My Sister's Knits (9907 S. Walden Parkway) on October 26. Since he's gotten Kaffe Fassett to knit with white yarn, maybe he'll even be able to convince Delores to pose for him.
At 2pm today, Layer Tennis starts. Local designer Chuck Anderson competes against Steven Harrington. Consider your afternoon blown.
Remember the Partners in Preservation contest? Well, the On Leong Merchants' Association/Pui Tak Community Center won the vote. If you're interested in the rest of the rankings, here are the full results.
If you find yourself at California and 21st, look around! You're right near Little Village's own Museum of Objects Left on the Sidewalk. It's a mini museum from artist Rebecca Wolfram. Some objects left at her outdoor museum include a dead frog, shoes, coat hanger sculptures and lots of other odds and ends. Says columnist Tom McNamee, "If Wolfram tried this in, say, Kenilworth, they'd call the police on her -- and you people in Kenilworth know that's true."
Visitor to the newly opened McCormick Place West Building may catch a glimpse of this very cool light installation by Jason Peot. It represents all 102 counties in Illinois as wooden houses, containing a proportion of wood that matches the county's population.
The NY Times features Chicagoan John Spack's $100,000 domed observatory in its discussion of the burgeoning trend in home construction.
The Chicago Public Art Group would like to meet him [top story] in order to help document and repair one of his murals.
Chicago Public Radio's "Hello Beautiful" interviews lawyer, author and MacArthur Grant recipient Stuart Dybek on this weekend's show; last week they talked with Patrick Welch, founder of the "micromentalist" art movement (whom we profiled earlier this year).
The 12th Annual Chicago Artists Month is under way, and offers a ridiculous number of opportunities to meet artists, ogle their studios, stroll through unfamiliar neighborhoods on gallery walks, schmooze at openings, and even try your hand at something creative. Slowdown notes just some of the highlights; click here for a complete schedule.
To celebrate "40 fearless years," the Museum of Contemporary Art is offering 40 days of free events starting this Saturday. Lots of chances to get inside and stare at art for free if you can't get to the museum on Tuesday, the usual free day.
100 Paintings 100 Days is a project by Arielle Sandler: one 6"x6" oil painting a day, released for sale a week's worth at a time. $125 each including shipping.
Photographer Ian "only-connect" Lorenzo (whose photo was featured in Rearview on Thursday) does some amazing things with his flickr account. Individual photos shine, but it's best to view his archives page by page by page.
As if the overbuilding, high prices and cookie-cutter looks of so many of the new condo buildings, the Chicago Journal's Alan Shannon points out some other drawbacks.
National Geographic is bringing its popular Festival of Maps to Chicago Nov. 2 -- spread out over nine museums, libraries and other locations.
Omnipresent CNN's all up in our stuff with an article about Chicago's architectural legacy, along with some photos and a short video about Frank Lloyd Wright's local connections.
If you've started or are planning to start a fashion business in Chicago, the City of Chicago and Macy's would like to give you the opportunity to win a Designer in Residence position at the new Macy's State Street Chicago Fashion Incubator. There are some stipulations and a $75 application fee, but you can download the application and get the full details now [pdf].
As debate escalates over the Chicago Children's Museum's proposed move to Grant Park, Blair Kamin offers a scathing critique of the current Richard J. Daley Bicentennial Plaza while reminding us of the 1836 statement: "Public Ground -- A Common to Remain Forever Open, Clear and Free of any Buildings, or other Obstruction Whatever."
You have till tomorrow to catch the very cool Big & Green exhibit at the Chicago Architecture Foundation, featuring 15 green building projects in Chicago or by local architects. Ugh, turns out the exhibit was from 2004. (Sorry, the pages included the date, not the year.)
American Express and the National Trust for Preservation have teamed up for Partners in Preservation, a very worthwhile contest: 25 Chicagoland architectural and historical landmarks vie for $1 million in grants for preservation and protection. Who wins is dependent on votes, so vote for your favorite -- and in classic Chicago style, you can vote more than once, every day in fact.
A huge collection of Chicago's street artists have come together to raise money for a Cicero public school. Check out the show (and buy some art, will ya?) at the Grind Cafe in Lincoln Square. The show opens this Friday evening, and features artists such as Blutt, Codo, Sonny Rainclouds, Solve and more.
Into freecycling? You're invited to The Free Store sponsored by Ausgang Gallery. To donate, email Melinda [at] ausgang.com To shop, visit The Free Store this weekend at 51st and Racine, from 11 am to 6 pm.
Keep your eyes trained on the new LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon mural being painted by the Kennedy right now. It's by local muralist Jeff Zimmerman, who incorporated the ideas of Chicagoans reacting to the fact that this year's race might be the last.
Local bi-lingual paper El Extra has run an article about an interesting sounding exhibit at the National Museum of Mexican Art. Titled "Dialogo", this installation chronicles three artists reactions to discussions between mothers and daughters within the Pilsen and Little Village communities.
Shawnimals is coming out with even tinier versions of its pocket ninjas, with a loop so you can have one guard your keychain. Sweet! In other art/craft news, two of Delicious Design League's Flatstock posters are now for sale on UrbanOutfitters.com.
Chicago Magazine's current issue includes a feature on the state of Chicago's contemporary architecture scene, complete with a fairly interesting top 10 list, which includes gems like The Contemporaine. Check out their feature, then weigh in on your favorite and least favorite buildings.
Toy Karma, an exhibit of the works of artists and designers inspired by classic Japanese toys, starts September 8, at the Rotofugi Designer Toy Store and Gallery. Adorably bizarre creations by folks like Alex Wald, Frank Kozik, and many others will be on display.
With the recent demolition of Dart's Emmanuel Presbyterian Church, Blair Kamin makes another call for including modern buildings in the city's architectural protections.
The Illinois Department of Health inspected the gorgeous-inside-and-out, Art Deco Pittsfield Building last week and then sealed off floors 13 through 21 after discovering asbestos during remodeling. I assume the lobby is still open, and safe. If so, why not stop in and enjoy a nice "alfresco" tuna melt at the Pittsfield Cafe while gawking at the magnificent Gothic ostentatiousness of the Pittsfield's five-story atrium?
The world of archaeaology is blowing up over the secretive start of a tour of the fossils of Lucy, the 40% complete Australopithecus afarensis skeleton discovered in Ethiopia in the 1970s. Many are calling the tour a "dangerous gamble with an irreplaceable relic". The Field Museum is slated to be one of her stopping points.
I told you last week about local designer Anna Fong being in the top 20 for AOL's AOL's Latino Fashionista contest. She's in the top 5 and could use your vote before Saturday to push her into the top 3.
DvA Gallery is auctioning off original artists' brushes to help raise money for Americans for the Arts, a nonprofit working to increase the visibility and stability of arts education across the country. Each brush is signed by the artist and framed in shadow boxes (a few even come with drawings or books). Check out The Brush Project for photos of the brushes and the artists' works. The auction is on ebay, and ends this Friday.
YoChicago checks in on the progress at Trump Tower.
Studio Gang, the firm behind Aqua, is doing something interesting in Hyde Park.
If you find yourself wandering Chicago museums this summer (whether alone or with out-of-towners), one thing you can do to spice it up is to add a podcast to the mix. The AIC has a monthly Musecast that discusses its current exhibitions and goings-on. The MCA also has a long list of podcasts about a current exhibition that address multiple pieces, like this one for Escultura Social with bilingual versions.
Starting on Sunday, the Stockyard Institute, AREA Chicago and other organizations will initiate "Pedagogical Factory: Exploring Strategies for an Educated City" at the Hyde Park Art Center. Throughout its run, topics will include "How We Peoples Make a People's Atlas of Chicago," "How We Grow: Self-Education and Urban Farming Gathering" and "How We Brew/Bake/Mead Etc Cottage Expo."
If you're going to Pitchfork this weekend, don't forget to bring money for Flatstock, the "ongoing series of exhibitions featuring the work of many of the most popular concert poster artists working today". If you're not going to Pitchfork, you can spend the next 4 hours or so clicking on poster links here. UPDATE: This week's Reader has a nearly-comprehensive take on 17 of the best Chicago-based screen print artists here.
Apartment Therapy drew attention to City Walks Chicago, a tour book deck of cards, with which you can design your own walking tour of downtown.
The Palmolive Building will briefly light its beacon tomorrow night. It may not be the real deal, but it's the first test of a configuration that may be used on future special occasions.
Dan Grzeca (pronounced "Jet-sah") designs concert posters as well as fine art screenprints; he's now selling them on Etsy in addition to festivals and craft shows.
If you're near Columbia College today (600 S. Michigan), take a look up and you'll see something singular: Sigmund Freud, dangling from one hand off a steel beam. Entitled Man Hanging Out, this fiberglass replica by Czech artist David Cerny is being exhibited as part of Chicago's Prague Days celebration. The sculpture (ahem) hangs through August.
First there were the Cool Globes. Now there are Mini Cool Globes, basketball-sized globes designed by everyone from Sheryl Crow to Joe Lieberman. If you'd like to see them in person, head to the Wacker Lobby and the Jackson Pavilion of the Sears Tower.
In the arithmetic of today, 8 acres = 3,000 homes + 1 hotel + (unspecified) stores + 1 marina. Now this developer needs to turn in its homework on time.
Branch out from the downtown and Wicker Park gallery scene with a spin through Pilsen. Stop at Polvo, an alternative art space run by a group by the same name; art-pilsen, a community art blog; and the Chicago Arts District, coordinators of the second Fridays art fest.
T.S. Eliot allegedly said "Mediocre writers borrow; great writers steal." Applying that to artists, what is Flemish cartoonist Ief Claessen supposed to be? Come to think of it, what's up with that British Petroleum guy? (Scroll down.)
A 50-story commercial building may soon be the capstone to the Chicago River. If built, it will increase the amount of new office space in Chicago by 20%.
Landmarks Preservation Council of Illinois is holding a conference on preservation this weekend, starting tonight with free tours of the K.A.M. II Synagogue and Hyde Park Bank. Much more is planned throughout the weekend, and it's not too late the register.
Suspicious Clowns 9 is the current show at the Live Bait Theater and I hear it's good. Quite good. The Reader approves too. Friday and Saturdays all through June.
The Chicago Loop Alliance offers Loop the Loop, three free podcast tours of the Loop covering notable art, theatre and landmark destinations. Nice perspective renderings of key buildings, too.
Julie Thoma Wright, a noted designer, passed away earlier this week after a battle with colon cancer. Thoma Wright, along with her husband Richard Wright, was known for being the force behind Wright, a Chicago auction house specializing in modern furniture and art. The Wrights were profiled last year in an article in The New York Times.
An ordinance to privatize the selection of public art, among other things, proposed by Mayor Daley and the Department of Cultural Affairs is being considered by the City Council this morning. Artists and activists will be protesting the silencing of artists' voices at City Hall starting at 10am. You can help keep public art meetings open by calling or emailing your alderman's office -- look it up here -- or head on down and join them.
Lee Mingwei's multi-part exhibit, "Impermanence" (at the Chicago Cultural Center through 1 July) includes a Guernica made of sand and a room containing multiple configurations of bed and nightstand; but check out the Letter Writing Project: an arrangement of three enclosures that invite you to write that letter you've been putting off. You can have it mailed or leave it for others to read; and reading other people's letters is no small pleasure.
If you're interested in seeing the new Niki St. Phalle exhibit in Garfield Park (more than 30 playful sculptures by the noted artist are placed amidst gardens inside and outside the Conservatory building) but the thought of long waits for the west-bound Green Line discourage you, click here for details about new express trains running between Randolph and Wabash and Garfield Park Conservatory Saturdays and Sundays.
Check out the very interesting textile artwork of Marcy Sperry, who also blogs about Rogers Park life at Thank You for Your Submission.
Word from Kartemquin Films regarding their in progress film: "Kartemquin is currently working on Typeface, a documentary about cultural preservation, rural renewal and graphic design history in the Midwest.To support these efforts, we're holding a benefit on June 15th at the Center for Book and Paper Arts here in Chicago. Toad Hollow Vineyards is providing the bubbly, MJ Catering is bringing the sweets and a number of local artists (including Jay Ryan and Dennis Ichiyama) are donating original works for the silent auction." While the much lauded Helvetica opens the same night at the Siskel, it is a weeklong engagement. So, why not support the locals? Looks good to me.
Chicago area based printmakers are invited to submit original prints and artist books for a joint group show being organized by The New York Society of Etchers, Inc. for the Loyola University Museum of Art on Michigan Avenue. The exhibition is scheduled for presentation in the fall of 2008. For the exhibitionl, "The Art of Democracy," they are seeking artist prints and artist books featuring the topics of war, domestic politics, constitutional rights like privacy an free speech, human rights, environmentalism and related areas of social activism.
As previously reported on GB, the historic Lakeshore Athletic Club building is on the list of the 10 most endangered buildings in Illinois, and Preservation Chicago is planning a rally at the building (850 N. Lake Shore Drive) this Sunday, June 3 at 1pm to raise awareness of the historical value of the property.
Sundance Cinemas announced it will open a new eight screen theater in Chicago. It'll be located in the West Loop when it opens ... in Spring 2009.
A 350-year-old Rembrandt etching, valued at 55 grand, was stolen from the Hilligoss Gallery on North Michigan Avenue—presumably by a well-dressed couple with, assumedly, good taste.
Sure, there's more to it--like tomorrow night's panel discussion on innovation in social housing, activities for kids, and open access to intriguing indoor spaces--but the chance of a free Architecture boat tour may seem more compelling. Other tours get you inside some of the bridge houses on the Chicago River (cool!), point out Arab influences on the city, and discuss how restaurant decor and cuisine can go hand in hand. Click here for complete details; all tours and programs are free.
Estrogen Fest 2007: Back on the Fringe starts its 10-day lady-made extravaganza of performance/dance/theater/music/vaudeville/etc. Wednesday night at Prop Thtr., 3502 N. Elston. Watch people do stuff in the performances and panels, learn to do stuff in the workshops, and buy stuff at the craft fair (curated by DIY Trunk Show and featuring GB staffer Cinnamon Cooper). The All Est Fest Pass is $50, but you can see individual events for various prices.
Man, we were all set to tell you about the awesome Jay Ryan poster that went on sale yesterday over in Coudal.com's Swap Meat, but they sold out before morning. So instead, go check out the equally awesome Brendan Dawes C-prints of 2001: A Space Odyssey and all the other cool stuff.
Now that the Buckingham Fountain is going full blast, maybe you'd like to astound your friends with some related trivia. For example, it opened on May 26, 1927, and its computer's name is the "Honeywell Excel-Plus."
If you are at all sentimental about old-tyme movie theaters, or have a particular soft spot for the DuPage Theatre in Lombard, you better high-tail it over there, because a judge has just cleared the way to knock it down. If you can't get there, see pics at Google and Flickr. Want to be a friend of the doomed theater? Go here.
Wafaa Bilal, an Iraqi-born artist, has set up a little target practice in Flatfile gallery -- and he's the target. Domestic Tension is an installation involving Bilal, a room and a motorized paint gun controlled by a webcam; line it up and try to shoot him. Follow his video diary and learn more on CrudeOil.us, or see it in person; the installation lasts till June 1.
Da Mare announced that the city, through the Department of Cultural Affairs, will again award Cityarts grants totaling more than one million dollars for the year of 2007. Of the 296 organizations receiving grants, 55 are new this year. Many of the grantees are arts programs for youths, but established groups are also included. Since 1979 the Cityarts program has awarded more than 13 million dollars in grants.
1. Create art
2. Print guide
3. ???
4. Profit!
George Jetson's high-rise order is nearly ready to be filled in Chicago, but not everyone's a fan of his new digs. If you're curious about similar projects, check out the bizarre Dynamic Architecture website.
Newsweek takes a look at the renovation plans for Frank Lloyd Wright's Glasner House, with not one but three videos explaining what will happen. [via]
At yesterday's Daley Urban Forum, Bruce Mau, the designer/futurist behind the MCA's recent "Massive Change" exhibit, confirmed that he's not only going to open an office here, but he's also moving his family down from Toronto. Why? He admires the city's energy and our talent pool.
Several cars in Printers Row received smiley face makeovers last night. The Trib astutely predicts "if the taggers are caught, there will be no smiles."
This week is the start of a series of events spanning over 2 months about "making you feel good, about feeling bad." The group Feel Tank Chicago started several years to explore what they thought was missing in discussions about politics - discussion about depression and the relationship between feelings and political activism. Their new event series of lectures, performances and meals"Pathogeographies: Or, Other People’s Baggage" starts out on next week and lasts all month. The exhibition under the same name they are organizing opens at UIC's Gallery 400 next month (June 15-July 7).
If you're a fan of Chicago architecture, you should definitely check out Great Chicago Places and Spaces 2007. Advance sign-up for more than 200 tours is only available online and starts today at noon.
Chicago blogger Kathy Moseley is fascinated by the mystery of Wicker Park scrawler "Jimmy Carter," whose work is carefully curated at her Flickr account. Has the Georgian ex-president taken to tagging, or is there another explanation? All that's left to say is, Jimmy Carter says, "Yes."
Elementary students at the Lab School have been building their favorite pieces of the Chicago skyline in Joyce Carrasco's class for more than a decade. Check out examples from the class of 2004-2005. Dibs on the Morton Salt building! [via]
While everyone is still abuzz about the Calatrava Spire (it just won approval for a zoning change, btw), developers have quietly pushed a plan for a 49-story condo tower in downtown Evanston that would become the tallest building ever in Chicago's suburbs. If you've visited Evanston lately, you know that it's gotten pretty tall in recent years, but this one would be twice as tall as what's there now.
The Renaissance Society, the University of Chicago's contemporary art advocate and gallery, is hosting its next opening on Sunday. If you've never visited, the Katharina Grosse show should be a fine introduction to the gallery, which has exhibited everyone from Picasso to Bourgeois. If that's not your thing, you may want to check out the Hyde Park Art Center's 24-hour Creative Move TOO.
Local circus freak Ken Harck just made another acquisition. This time it's a rare Ringling Bros. poster.
Now you can get inside Mies' masterpiece, Farnsworth House, with the help of the Chicago Architecture Foundation. Join the CAF for a seven-hour tour of Farnsworth House, located near Plano, Illinois, and other landmark buildings. Find out more about the tour as well as how you can reserve your spot.
With all of the hubbub about the Olympics, there's an argument that sports shouldn't get all of the attention. In a city currently alive with Version>07, and soon to have Artropolis going too, art should also be at the forefront. Tribune art critics provide a few conceptions of how art could work with the Olympics.
For the last several years Three Walls has been an international artist residency program based in Chicago. Today they announce ThreeWallsSOLO, a new space (at 119 N Peoria, Unit 2A) dedicated solely to local artists. They are interested in supporting difficult and challenging projects, and what's best -- they offer a peer jury review and a materials stipend. The space will open in September, so check out the Fresh News sidebar for submission information.
The city's planning board just endorsed a proposal for the Chicago Spire, which will be erected (chuckle) in Streeterville and top off at 2,000 feet. When completed, Chicago will once more have the tallest building in the Western hemisphere. Ha! Take THAT future Freedom Tower and the Taipei 101 building in Taiwan. But wait! Gradually, even the Spire will be dwarfed by up-and-coming stud, the Burj Dubai! Hope this doesn't affect anyone's performance.
This summer, 122 globes will be installed on Chicago's lakefront for an art project called Cool Globes: Hot Ideas for a Cooler Planet. The five-foot-tall spheres have been decorated with artistic representations of ways to conserve energy, from wind power (represented by pinwheels) to recycling (represented by junk mail). The Sun-Times reports that the globes will appear on June 1, and will stay out until October 2, when they will be removed and auctioned off to benefit environmental education in Chicago Public Schools.
The Chicago Spire took another step towards reality by moving through a "critical" stage of the zoning process.
Cool kids will converge at Version>07. This year's festival begins this weekend and runs through May 6, 2007. There's all kinds of cool-kid arty stuff happening. Check it out.
Diane Sudyka, best known for her concert posters and other printmaking, has been spending time at the Field Museum preparing bird specimens. The work has inspired her to draw birds to fill her own Tiny Aviary. (Thanks, Jennifer!)
Yesterday, All Things Considered ran Edward Lifson's fine examination of the architectural preservation photography book Richard Nickel's Chicago. Bonus: the song that plays at the end of the piece is from the Rachel's album Music for Egon Schiele, which was composed for a Chicago theater production.
The Sun-Times' "Neighborhood" column profiled the owner of Sacred Art, Sarah Chazin. Her shop sells affordable art by undiscovered artists. Find out more about her shop and check out a list of more stores that sell pocket-friendly collectibles.
Novelist, essayist, playwright, artist, activist, and, yes, City News Bureau of Chicago reporter, In These Times contributor and University of Chicago graduate, Kurt Vonnegut, has died. "So it goes."
Michael Horvich is more than a supernumerary, he's the curator of Michael's Museum. Unfortunately, the physical museum is currently not open to the public, presumably due to high demand because of a recent Tribune article. For now, enjoy the photographs and lists.
The Arts Club of Chicago, which apparently doesn't have a website, is hosting an excellent retrospective of Myron Goldsmith's architectural and teaching career. Go before the show closes on April 13, if for no other reason than to see the model of the unrealized Ruck-a-Chucky Bridge in person. While you're at it, the club has an interesting history that's worth reviewing.
The Chicago Symphony Orchestra is taking great strides to expand its audience and influence, notably including a retooled nationally syndicated radio program and a performance and educational video series.
From the establishment of the Hull House Theater to the World's Columbian Exposition, the Sun Times lists their take on "The 50 Greatest Chicago Moments."
Tickets are on sale for clever art collective Lucky Pierre's latest project: Rock & Roll: Impatience. Early reports promise the audience will be be shaken all night long.
